B6252 - La salute unica all'interfaccia esseri umani/animali/ambiente

Learning outcomes

Students will learn that health is a prerequisite, an outcome, and an indicator of sustainable development. The course will provide basic knowledge on key health issues at the human-animal-environment interfaces and will aim to foster an understanding of the need for an integrated, cross-sectoral approach to achieving the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.

Course contents

Lecture 1. The connections between humans, animals, and the environment make collaboration across various sectors necessary to understand and reduce risks and consequences for health and well-being. The One Health approach offers opportunities for synergistic expertise to address complex health threats at the levels of people, animals, and the environment, and highlights the need for specialists across multiple sectors. Global health challenges transcend national, European, and international borders and require a cross-sectoral approach. For this reason, international organizations have come together to launch the One Health approach, with the aim of improving our understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics emerge and spread. As an example, the four-party collaboration between FAO, OIE, WHO, and UNEP will be discussed.

Lescture 2. Approximately 60% of all known infectious agents affecting humans (e.g., rabies, brucellosis, leptospirosis) originate in animals. Ebola, highly pathogenic avian influenza, SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 are the most recent examples of new or emerging infectious diseases in humans caused by zoonotic pathogens. Risk factors and the concept of spillover will be explained through case studies.

Lecture 3. The rate at which emerging diseases spread is accelerating as a byproduct of the growth in global trade and travel. The growth of trade with emerging markets and developing economies has increased the likelihood of reinfection from existing animal reservoirs. Recent research suggests that as wildlife moves along the supply chain—from capture sites to large markets and on to restaurants—the potential for spillover is amplified. Preventing future pandemics requires a multisectoral approach to implement measures aimed at reducing the risks of spillover. Practical examples will be used to explain the principles of risk assessment

Lescture 4. In the Anthropocene, human interaction with nature and animals has changed significantly. This has been driven by the domestication of animals, the expansion of agriculture into natural ecosystems, urbanization, and the industrialization of food systems. The species and numbers of animals present in urban environments, as well as human-animal relationships, have changed. In the Western world, particularly in urban settings, people tend to be more detached from so-called livestock and have developed closer bonds with companion animals. At the same time, in many countries of the Global South, humans and animals—whether domesticated or wild—live in close contact even in urban centers (for example, at open-air markets, or with wild animals kept in sacred temples or as strays). The recent COVID-19, monkeypox, and Ebola (BDBV) pandemics are the result of the complex interactions within the socio-ecological systems that characterize our time.

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliography and multimedia resources provided by the instructor will be made available on VIRTUALE

Teaching methods

lecture and case discussion FILM CLUB

Assessment methods

Students are required to attend at least 60% of the classes. Participation in class discussions and activities will be taken into account in the final assessment of course completion.

Teaching tools

power point presentations, videos, case studies

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Scagliarini